Multiple Views: Health care exchange deadline looms

Some of Wisconsin's elected Democrats are calling on Governor Scott Walker to implement a state-run health care exchange as is required by the law now known as Obamacare.

Six congressional Democrats sent the governor a letter Monday.

Governor Walker has until Friday to decide if Wisconsin will run its own exchange, or have the federal government run it instead.

So what other choices does he have? And how might it all affect you?

As the federal Affordable Care Act or Obamacare moves forward, states will be forced to make a decision.

Under the law, each state can create its own exchange. The state can let the federal government run the exchange, or combine the two forming a hybrid.

The Wisconsin Association of Health Plans represents insurance companies which cover more than one million Wisconsinites. Officials say the state-run option is best.

“It offers us the best opportunity to preserve the strengths of the market. We think Wisconsin should as much as it can, preserve its regulatory authority over health insurance, because Wisconsin has done a pretty good job of regulating the market,” said Phil Dougherty, senior executive officer with the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans.

But others say priority should be the patients.

“This has to be about consumers and their right to control their own health insurance. Not about the health care industry,” said Robert Kraig, executive director of health care advocacy group Citizen Action of Wisconsin

It's an opportunity for everyone to buy insurance no matter what.

The option of a federally-run exchange had little support.

“We don't know who would draft that in the federal government. I don't know if what they know about the Wisconsin health care marketplace. I certainly hope they would not impose a one size fits all exchange upon Wisconsin,” said State Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee).

Governor Scott Walker has until Friday to decide.

Lawmakers have been applying pressure from the federal and state level.

“It's very frustrating that the governor has engaged in this secret process,” said Richards.

The governor's office would only release this statement:

"Governor Walker will make an announcement related to health insurance exchanges later this week."

Whatever Governor Walker decides, the state has until the end of the year to submit its plan to the federal government.